Gabi at the 2013 Worlds absolute black belt final

– Gabi Garcia is my idol!

– Gabi Garcia has no technique, she’s only muscles!

– Gabi Garcia is an example to all girls, Jiu-Jitsu practitioners or not!

– Gabi Garcia should compete with guys!

– Gabi Garcia is so brave to go out there and compete while the crowd only wants to see her fall!

– Gabi Garcia is full of steroids!

– Gabi Garcia tested negative for all PEDs after the Pan and the Worlds in 2013!

The career of Gabi Garcia in Jiu-Jitsu could easily be defined in the seven sentences above.

The 27-year-old from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, always generates heated emotions, in favor and against.

Three times absolute black belt champion (although she also counts the 2010 title, when she closed out the division with Luanna Alzuguir and placed second), and many other titles including ADCC and WPJJC, Gabi is undisputed the owner of the female black belt division in recent years.

Blessed with generous genetics, the Alliance star knew from the start that it would not be enough and tirelessly looked for the best training she could find, for technique, cardio and power.

With that improvement, a defeat like the one she suffered to featherweight Ana Carol Vidal in the 2007 Worlds purple belt absolute semifinals would be hard to happen again.

Since 2009, she lost only three times: to Ana Laura Cordeiro, Lana Stefanac and Hillary Williams.

Today, Gabi is the undisputed IBJJF Female Ranking leader, with 1,413 pts, 300 more than second place Luanna Alzuguir.

Gabi is now training for the 2013 ADCC, this October, in Beijing, China, where she will be after her second title.

And other than that, she has already signaled that an MMA career could be in her future.

Who can doubt that Gabi would be amazing to watch inside an octagon.

Well, like everything else in her career, opinions will be heated and divided.

But she’s used to that. 

Watch Gabi’s final against Bia Mesquita at the 2013 Worlds (with subtitles):

Alliance dominates the adult male division since 2008

If you want to be the adult male teams world champion, you need to have seven gold medalists among the 40 divisions that make the four belt ranks (blue, purple, brown, black).

Other than that, you’ll need seven second places and ten third places.

With all that, you will get 94 points as Alliance did last week at the 2013 Worlds.

Seven out of 40? That’s not much, isn’t it?

Yes it is a lot. It means to have one champion every 5.7 divisions, the same proportion for the runner ups and also to have one athlete in the third place every 4 podiums.

Overall, Alliance was present in 17 podium ceremonies with 21 athletes.

It’s almost half of the total number of ceremonies held at the adult male category (40).

In the black belt division alone, seven Alliance athletes reached one of the three steps of the podium.

Bernardo Faria was there twice (as third place in the absolute and as the super-heavyweight champion).

Fernando Andrade dos Reis was the only double gold athlete from Alliance, winning the purple belt open class and the heavyweight.

Here is the list of points by Alliance at each belt color:

Blue: 9+3+3+1+9+1 = 26

Purple: 9+1+3+1+3+9+9 = 35

Brown: 9+3+1 = 13

Black: 3+1+1+3+1+9+1+1 = 20

Total: 94

At the 2013 Worlds, Alliance scored 41pts more than second place Check Mat, which means that if the team hadn’t scored any points at the black belt division and all 20 points had gone to Check Mat, Alliance would still be the champion.

Alliance leader Fabio Gurgel talks a bit about the numbers: “You have to devote yourself to the technical foundation of Jiu-Jitsu and also get to know all of your affiliate members and team representatives. Our athletes do not come from one single place. We have athletes from Pouso Alegre, Brazil, Helsinki, Finland, and also from New York, USA, among many other places. We knew that the black belt competition would become increasingly fierce and that a single team could hardly dominate it entirely given the caliber of opponents such as Leandro Lo, Marcus Buchecha, Rodolfo Vieira, Tanquinho, Andre Galvao, Gui and Rafa Mendes, Barral, among others. Despite the quality of our Alliance warriors, such high-caliber opponents could not all be beat at the same time, in a single tournament, by a single team. So, what to do? How to do it? Given that fact, what could be done to assure continued success? The answer is invest and strengthen your base,” wrote Gurgel in his Facebook page.

Gurgel’s statement is based by the facts, when you look at the list of Alliance medalists in the lower belts (blue, purple, brown).

Champions: Hiago Gama Sousa (Brazil), Teemu Koivisto (Finland), Eduard Richard Correa Lisboa (Brazil), Fernando Andrade dos Reis (Brazil), Gianni Grippo (USA).

Second places: Fabio Caloi (Brazil), Jeffrey Obar (USA), Mansher Khera (USA), Max Lindblad (Sweden), Egidio Neto (Brazil).

Third places: Nicholas Meregali (Brazil), Ram Ananda (USA), Zata Toscano (USA), Andrew Scott Mclauchlan (USA).

So, now you know how Alliance did it.

It’s not the only recipe, but it works for sure.

Correct, the man above is Luke Rockhold and he was competing at the 2013 Worlds this morning, at brown belt.

To know what happened to Luke and more, follow our coverage at www.gplus.to/GRACIEMAG

Follow our coverage at www.gplus.to/GRACIEMAG

Follow our coverage at www.gplus.to/GRACIEMAG

This one’s for you who are in Long Beach, California, attending
the 2013 BJJ World Championship, or thinking of dropping
by this weekend.

The GRACIEMAG booth features special offers for both school owners
and any Jiu-Jitsu practitioner.

You will also find the booth has lower prices than the website.
By how much? Come by and ask us. These are the offers:

Single subscription:

2 years:

Pick between:

Deluxe book “Jiu-Jitsu Worlds: A Tale in Photos”  

Or

A Vulkan Pro-Light Gi and a GRACIEMAG Gi bag

Also get:

• 8 past issues
• 1 Free Dedicated Coverage by Lineage (20 high-definition photos)

1 year:

Pick between:

The reinforced GRACIEMAG Backpack

Or

A GRACIEMAG Hoodie

Also get:

• 4 past issues
• 1 Free Dedicated Coverage by Lineage (20 high-definition photos)
• 1 Exclusive GRACIEMAG Keychain by Koral

6 months:

Pick from:

Gi bag or GRACIEMAG T-shirt or GRACIEMAG Hat

Also get:

• 2 past issues
• 1 Free Dedicated Coverage by Lineage (20 high-definition photos)
• 1 Exclusive GRACIEMAG Keychain by Koral

1 Year GMA Membership (for school owners)

1. Profile of your school will be featured on GRACIEMAG Facebook page and website;
2. Relevant news from your school posted on GRACIEMAG Facebook page and website;
3. Your school will be permanently listed in our directory;
4. Links to your school’s website;
5. The most interesting articles will be featured in our print issue;
6. 50% discount on online banners;
7. 50% discount on printed adverts;
8. 10 magazines every month to be sold or distributed to your students for;
9. Eventual ads featuring your school as a GMA member in GRACIEMAG;
10. Availability of our outlets to show you teaching Jiu-Jitsu moves.
11. One Free Dedicated Coverage by Lineage (20 high-definition photos)
12. Welcome Kit with:

• Photo Book
• Gi
• Hat
• T-shirt

Come visit us!

Carlos Gracie Jr. teaching. Photo: Gracie Barra

Before taking a dive in Laguna Beach, California, master Carlos Gracie Jr. steadily climbs the 150 steps of a seemingly endless stairway. He repeats this three times, sometimes faster. He keeps the same consistency, health and effort in running the IBJJF, which holds the BJJ Worlds, created by him in 1996 in Rio, and starting this Thursday in Long Beach. After riding some waves with the master, calves a-burning, the reporter chatted about the history of the BJJ Worlds up until now.

GRACIEMAG: So, 18 years of World BJJ Championships. What do you make of it so far?

CARLOS GRACIE JR: The BJJ Worlds was born from a seed we planted years before, really. We were facing this massive challenge of trying to organize the BJJ tournaments in a consistent way, as up until 1994 there was only the Rio de Janeiro State Championship, organized by master Francisco Mansur along with uncle Helio. But the tournament took place every other year, and was even skipped altogether some years. So I decided to organize the first Brazilian BJJ Championship, which met a lot of criticism as people said it was a local sport and doubted there would be anyone coming from other states. But it worked out great, with athletes from Manaus and many other cities, and so the idea came true. I always liked that thing I saw in other sports, where athletes traveled with their teams to compete, and so I held the Pan-American in Irvine, California, in 1995. Back in my day we never traveled farther than our neighbor state of Minas Gerais to fight. But the time had come for Jiu-Jitsu to have its own international tournament.

And how did the Pan go?

There were two American gyms with athletes willing to take part, that of the Machados and that of Joe Moreira. I brought 120 athletes from Brazil, and BR sponsored the trips. And then things happened, and the Pan-American toured around California, Florida and Hawaii. Then I realized there was the need for a worldwide championship. Instead of waiting for the sport to catch on abroad, the tournament itself would help the sport grow and spread all over the globe and leave the Stone Age. We’ve come a long way, but there’s still a lot of ground to cover.

What’s the lesson to take from the success of the BJJ Worlds?

That you have to fight for your dream, because no one is gonna do it for you. The BJJ Worlds wasn’t born as a competition between countries as in soccer, but rather as a stage for the best gyms in the world to showcase their talent. Everything, it’s worth noting, was thought out for the benefit of fighters, so that Jiu-Jitsu would spread and help more people. I ignored obstacles, negativity, jealousy, and today we see that the BJJ Worlds and the IBJJF have helped build the careers of our art’s greatest. These champions will be remembered in a hundred years, like a Kimura. And those who chose not to participate will regret it.

What about the next 18 years? Where is the sport going?

The next few years will focus around professionalism. Based on our recently-created ranking, we’ll be looking to improve the professional careers of our elite athletes step by step, so that they can earn enough as fighters. But sustenance has to be intelligent, self-sufficient. It’s useless to get a big sponsor that’s gonna vanish in a heartbeat. The sport will pay well when there are millions of practitioners who know the technique and love the game. It’s the public who’s gonna pay their idols a good wage. That is the path, and that will be my work – to open gyms, to host tournaments and to divulge the sport in your magazine so that Jiu-Jitsu becomes popular all over the planet. It’s 24/7 work, and it may take 20 or a hundred years, but I’m in no hurry.

What’s the most fun to you in the BJJ Worlds?
It’s a huge party, everybody gets to see their old friends, but i really like the good fights, at whatever belt. I also like it when there’s a surprise, when someone comes out of the blue to beat the more famous.

From Thursday through Sunday, GRACIEMAG will be your best channel to follow every important play in the BJJ Worlds – on and off the mat. Photo: Archives

Taking on the BJJ Worlds is no beginner’s task. And I don’t mean only for athletes, but for spectators as well, both on the stands and in the chair at home.

With so many fights, styles and techniques, the aficionado tends to get lost, not knowing what to look at. And so they miss some remarkable moments and lessons, not to mention the bouts.

To try to help both the long-time fan and the newcomer, GRACIEMAG has made a guide so that you don’t miss out on anything important about the 18^th BJJ Worlds.

1. Get connected

The event starts on Thursday, May 30, at 9 a.m. Pacific. If you’re in the States, there’s time to have lunch and get the pay-per-view from IBJJFTV.com and await the first bouts, starting with the adult blue-belts. Connect also with GRACIEMAG’s Google+, where the main photos will be published daily, as well as some surprises. Follow the event play-by-play on gplus.to/graciemagazine.

2. Magrinho tries to make blue-belt history

Right in the first couple of hours of the competition, look out for light featherweight Hiago Gama, who has won every major IBJJF competition he has entered this year. Watch out for how he takes the back of his foes at only 21 years of age.

3. Reading time

Around 2:30 p.m., look for the fight between promising lightweight blue-belts Horlando Monteiro (Kimura/ Nova União) and Dante Leon (Ribeiro JJ). Just look for the badges on their gis and their efficient play. Will you be in the Pyramid? Climb the stands and get to the GRACIEMAG kiosk and buy your brand new book with the illustrated history of the BJJ Worlds.

4. Lessons on the bleachers

When your eyes get sore from so much strong blue-belt BJJ, turn around and chat with your idols, preferably those not busy yelling at their students. The acai line all the way up is a great place to find some of the greatest champions, as well as MMA stars and experienced masters laughing and chatting. If you’re a blue-belt, remember to enroll in the open before 9:30 p.m. There will be no registration on Friday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGbg089JGUU

5. Purple Friday

Friday the 31^st brings the purple-belts with it, and at 11:45 a.m. in California there will already be a famous one on the mat. It’s Marcio André, a Nova União featherweight who got to the final at the ADCC Brazil qualifier, where he was beaten by João Miyao in the judges’ decision. Marcio also won the European, the Pan-American and the Brazilian, just like Hiago. He’s shown he’s got what it takes to get to the podium and maybe move up in belt.

6. Browns and blacks in the house

The lighter brown-belts begin fighting at 1:15 p.m. Friday, and the feared Paulo and João Miyao brothers start appearing on the mats trying to nab light featherweight gold. As a reader has said, they look like they come from a videogame – you take one down and another pops up to bust you – so you’d better watch out for them and their attacks from the back and the X-guard. The black-belts make their entrance from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., but wait: for now they’re only signing up. Don’t be late if you’re one of them!

7. Big Saturday

Saturday all hell breaks loose. Brown-belts start fighting at 9 a.m. and at 10:45 it’s already time for the black-belt open, featuring sitting champ Marcus Vinicius “Buchecha,” 2011 winner Rodolfo Vieira, 2006/08 king Xande Ribeiro and the ever-dangerous André Galvão, among other ferocious challengers wishing to etch their name in history. Open-class bouts go on until after noon, and by 1:50 the black-belts are back to fight in their weight classes. Not enough? Wait, at 2:50 there’s the purple-belt open, and at 5 p.m. it’s time for the brown-belt open. Can anyone upset Keenan Cornelius, the phenomenon pictured in the latest GRACIEMAG cover? Don’t forget to bring your magazine to get his autograph.

8. Huge Sunday

Starting 10 a.m. on the last day of the BJJ Worlds in Long Beach, the black-belts return for the quarterfinals. By now there’s a lot of great fighters who have been knocked out and have to watch from the stands. It will be a whopping nearly seven hours dedicated only to the greatest fighters in the world – and current champions Bruno Malfacine (rooster), Gui Mendes (light feather), Rafa Mendes (feather), Leandro Lo (light), Otávio Sousa (middle), Romulo Barral (medium-heavy), Rodolfo (heavy) and Buchecha (ultra-heavy) will be defending their titles. Super-heavyweight champ Léo Nogueira is injured, but his mate and last year’s runner-up Bê Faria will be seeking to take his place atop the podium.

The GRACIEMAG team will be bringing you the best interviews, lessons and backstage action, so stick with us here on the site and in the social networks.

To re-check the schedule, click here.

To see the brackets of each category, go here.

Romulo Barral sweeps André Galvão in divisional final at IBJJ Pro League (photo by Ivan Trindade/GRACIEMAG).

Last December, Romulo Barral pocketed 5,000 dollars by outdoing his friend Otavio Sousa and André Galvão to win his division at the IBJJF Pro League. The Jiu-Jitsu professor from team Gracie Barra didn’t get much time to celebrate, though, as training will not be put on hold. His goal in getting back to the grind? To win his first European Open in Lisbon, Portugal, at the end of this January.

We spoke with the Brazil-California transplant about his training for the IBJJF tournament. Here’s what he had to say:

GRACIEMAG: Are you already in tip-top shape for the European Open in Lisbon?

ROMULO BARRAL: I’m ready and really happy to get to participate in my first European Open. We’re aiming for a first title in Lisbon. I’ve been preparing for it ever since the Pro League. I didn’t stop for Christmas or for New Year’s. I’ve got a strong team at the academy. I managed to set up a really good competition team. I’ve been training with my students and teammates every day. I’ve got a number of Gracie Barra black belts training with me, like Rodrigo Freitas, Bruno Antunes, Lucas Rocha, Otavio Sousa, Rafael Tinoco and Magidinho, as well as my own black belts Cristian Belo, Larry Scot and Ben Saloman. All of them help me, and on top of that there’s my physical conditioning trainer Leo Frincu.

Have you gotten a look at who all is in the medium-heavyweight division? Do you have an idea who will be the biggest obstacle in getting the gold?

I haven’t looked at my division yet to not get nervous. But for sure everyone there is going to be tough.

What’s your big goal for 2013?

As an athlete, to participate in all the main Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. As a coach, to do the best job possible to help my team and students. My main objective in 2013 is to fight for my fourth world title as a black belt as well as to win my first world absolute.

How would you define Romulo Barral’s style of Jiu-Jitsu?

It’s non-stop offense. I like going on the attack, both playing guard and passing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5njOYaFdvw